Woodside CEO says young people criticise fossil fuels but ‘happily order things from Shein and Temu’

The boss of Australia’s largest gas producer has slammed young people for what she described as a massive double standard.

The boss of Australia’s largest oil and gas producer has slammed young people for criticising fossil fuels while “happily” charging their devices and buying products from cheap Chinese online retailers like Shein and Temu.

Woodside Energy chief executive Meg O’Neill was speaking on a panel at the industry’s annual conference in Brisbane on Tuesday when she was asked by moderator Chris Uhlmann if people were aware of where their electricity came from.

“Most people hit a switch and expect the lights to come on,” Ms O’Neill said, as reported by The Guardian.

Woodside Energy CEO Meg O’Neill. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/The Australian

“And it’s been a fascinating journey to watch the discussion, particularly amongst young people who have this very ideological, almost zealous view of, you know, ‘fossil fuel bad, renewables good’, that are happily plugging in their devices, ordering things from Shein and Temu, having, you know, one little thing shipped to their house without any sort of recognition of the energy and carbon impact of their actions.

“So that human impact and the consumer’s role in driving energy demand and emissions absolutely is a missing space in the conversation.”

Woodside and Ms O’Neill have been the target of sustained activism in recent years by climate protesters opposed to the extension of the North West Shelf Project on the Burrup Peninsula in the remote Pilbara region.

Woodside Energy’s Karratha Gas Plant. Picture: Supplied

Environment Minister Murray Watt is expected to make a decision on the North West Shelf extension this week, with shares in Woodside rising on Tuesday amid speculation the controversial project will get the tick.

The North West Shelf is the largest mainland gas plant in Australia, and the extension would allow Woodside to extend production and supply the domestic market by another 40 years until 2070.

Ms O’Neill said in her opening speech to Australian Energy Producers conference that “certainty around Australia’s energy and climate policies, environmental regulation and timely approvals is critical to driving investment”.

“I think it is time that the opponents of our industry face up to the fact that they are making the energy transition harder and more risky by slowing down investment and trying to take practical options off the table,” she said.

“If Australia loses its energy edge, we also lose opportunities to contribute to decarbonisation at home and abroad.”

Climate protesters at the Art Gallery of WA. Picture: Disrupt Burrup Hub

The conference also heard from Resources Minister Madeleine King, who told attendees she had “heard your message that environmental approvals are complex and lengthy” and “addressing this issue is a priority of government”.

“We must effectively balance environmental and social impacts with the best interests of households, businesses and the wider energy industry,” she said.

Mr Watt last week formally rejected concerns raised by environmental groups including Greenpeace about the North West Shelf extension, clearing the way for final approval.

The WA government last year gave environmental approval for the project, but the long-awaited federal decision was twice delayed by former Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek.

Mr Watt told the ABC last week his decision would be independent and “based on the science and the evidence”.

The Climate Council says if approved, the project would release 4.4 billion tonnes of CO2 over its lifetime, making it the country’s second worst polluting fossil fuel facility.

“Peter Dutton promised to approve this project before the last election. Voters rejected Dutton and the Government must now reject this project too,” Climate Council chief executive Amanda McKenzie said in a statement last week.

“Approving the North West Shelf extension would be a polluting stain on the Albanese government’s climate and energy legacy — undermining all the strong progress made on renewable power.”

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Originally published as Woodside CEO says young people criticise fossil fuels but ‘happily order things from Shein and Temu’